Folding support for hammocks amd tents



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J. 0. EYXBE & P. E. PETERSEN. FOLDING SUPPORT FOR HAMMOGKS AND TENTS.

No. 594,598. Pate-ntedNov. 30,1897.

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. J. G. BYXBE & P. E. PETERSEN. FOLDING SUPPORT FOR HAMMOGKS AND TENTS.

No. 594,598. Patented Nov. 30,1897.

(No Model.)

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JOHN C. BYXBE AND PETER E. PETERSEN, OF PENSACOLA,-FLORIDA.

FOLDING SUPPORT FOR HAMMOCKS AND TENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,598, dated November30, 1897. Application filed February 23, 1897. $erial No. 624,657. (H0 ml-l To ztZZ whom it may concern! Be it known that we, JOHN C. BYXBE antPETER E. PETERSEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Pensacola,in the county of Escambia and State of Florida, have invented a certainnew and useful Improvement in Folding Supports for Hammocks and Tents,of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in folding hammockand tent supports, and has for its object to-so construct a deviceofthis description as to facilitate its folding into a small compass andalso to permit it to be quickly adjusted, so as to support a hammock ora. hammock and tent, thereby providing a desirable equipment fordomestic or camp use.

With these ends iii-view this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, its constructionand operation will now be described in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which vFigure 1 is a perspective of our improvement, illustrating the method ofsupporting a hammock thereon; Fig. 2, a similar View showing our deviceutilized for the support of a hammock and tent; Fig. 3, aperspeotive ofa tent supported byourimprovement when closed, and Fig. 4 a longitudinalsection of such a tent. V

In carrying out our invention we provide the base-strips A, which arecomposed of two sections hinged together at B, and upon the uppersurface of each of the sections are secured by screws or otherwise thestrengthening-strips O, and in practice these last-named strips arecurved inwardly upon their under surfaces, so that in securing the sameto the base-strips A the last-named strips will be drawn upward out ofastraight line, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, which will cause the outerends of the base-strips to first come in contact with the ground, forthe purpose hereinafter set forth.

The'base-strips are held parallel and at the proper distance apart bythe spreaders D and E, the former being two in number and hav-.

ing clips upon their ends for engagement with the ends of thebase-strips, as clearly shown, and in practice they are-applied to theunder side of these strips, while the spreader E, having like clips, isapplied to the upper side of, the base-strips immediately over thehinges B.

Staples F are secured to the upper side of the strengthening-strips andare for the purpose of securing the stanchions G at their lower ends,and said stanchions are provided with the hook-irons H for engagementwith the staples and have their lower ends so beveled that when they arein proper contact with the strengthening-strips the stanchions willstand at a considerable angle to the basestrips. Stanchionsare also setat an angle to each other, so that the two upon each end of thesupporter converge toward each other and are united at their upper endsby the caps I, said caps being so arranged as to slip over the upperends of the stanchions, and in practice we prefer to have these capspermanently secured by a screw or otherwise to one of the stanchions inorder that itmay not become displaced. The stanchions are held in theirnormal position against strain by the brace-rods J, which latterare'pivoted by the staples K to the base-strips and engage with thestaples L, secured in the side of the stanchions, asclearly shown inFig; l.

The caps I are provided with hooks M, which are for the engagement ofthe rings of the hammock, as clearly shown, so that when the frame hasbeen adjusted to its normal position a hammock canbe supported thereby,and when any considerable weight is placed within the hammock the straintherefrom will be first exerted upon the outer ends of the stanchionsand transmitted therefrom through said stanchions and brace-rods J, soas to have a tendency to force the base-strips downward at theircenters, which on account of the upward curve of said strips will bringthem into firm contact with the ground without elevating the outer endsthereof, as will be readily understood.

The caps I have formed therethrough holes N for the insertion of thetent-poles O, which latter are reduced at their lower ends for thispurpose and are preferably pointed at their upper ends for insertionwithin the loops in the rid ge-rope of the tent, and, as willbe seen,the tent is readily supported by the frame and is preferably made morerigid and stationary by the guide-ropes P being staked to the ground, asindicated at Q. The tent is here shown as'having a side flap R, whichmaybe rolled up and secured, as shown in Fig. 2, and, when desired, sucha tent may have both of its sides provided with flaps, in order that theoccupant of the tent may gain access thereto or egress therefrom uponeither side thereof.

From this description it will be seen that a supporter made inaccordance with our improvement may be quickly adjusted for the supportof a hammock and tent, and when it is desired to store the same in asmall compass for shipment or otherwise this is quickly accomplished byunhooking the brace-rods J and detaching the several sections andfolding them together, thus rendering our improvement especiallyadvantageous for use by persons camping out, since it maybe easilytransported from place to place and quickly adjusted for use.

Our improvement is also well adapted for use upon lawns or porches whenthe tent is not needed for a hammock-support alone, as it may beutilized for this purpose without the necessity of driving stakes in theground or permanently securing hooks to the woodwork of the porch.

The cost of our improvement is exceedingly small, thereby rendering itvaluable for all uses to which any design of hammock and tent support isnow applicable.

Vhen our improvement is to be used for a gunning tent and hammock,suitable racks and hooks may be arranged thereon for the support of gunsand other camping outfit, as well as the clothes of the occupant.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anduseful is 1. In eombination,base-strips,staples thereon, stanchionshaving hooked ends engaging the staples, caps for securing the upperends of the stanchions together, brace-rods conneetin g the stanchionsto the base-strips, tentpoles inserted in the holes in the caps and atent or the like supported by the tent-poles, as and for the purposedescribed.

2. In combination, the base-strips A having strengthening-strips securedupon their upper sides and adapted to draw them out of line, spreadersfor holding the base-strips in position, stanchions adapted to be hookedto the base-strips, caps for securing the upper ends of the stanchionsin position relative to each other, and brace-rods for holding saidstanchions in position relative to the basestrips, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. A hammoek-support, consisting of basestrips formed in two sectionsand hinged together, said strips having strengtheningstrips secured totheir upper sides in such manner as to draw the base-strips out of line,staples secured to the strengthening-strips, stanchions having hookedends for engagement with said staples, caps for securing the upper endsof the stanchions together, bracerods stapled to the base-strips andarranged to engage staples in the stanchions, and spreaders for holdingthe base-strips parallel, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

4. The herein-described combination of the base-strips A made insections and hinged together, spreaders D and E for holding said stripsparallel, strengthening-strips secured to the upper sides of thebase-strips and arranged to draw thelatterout of 1ine,stanchions adaptedto be hooked to the strengtheningstrips, caps for securing the upperends of the stanchions together, brace-rods for securing the stanchionsin their relative positions to the base-strips, hooks carried by saidcaps for the support of a ham1nock,tent-poles 0 arranged to be supportedby the caps by insertion within suitable holes in said caps, and asuitable tent supported by said poles, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

I11 testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN G. BYXBE. PETER E. PETERSEJ. Witnesses:

S. S. WILLIAMsoN, R. M. PIERCE.

